_Foss._ What of that? _Plot._ Vat of dat? me make dat gold my own self, of de lead of de great church of Crawcow. _Foss._ By what operations? _Plot._ By calcination; reverberation; purification; sublimation; amalgamation; precipitation; volitilization. _Foss._ Have a care what you assert. The volitilization of gold is not an obvious process. It is by great elegance of speech called, _fortitudo fortitudinis fortissima_. _Plot._ I need not acquaint de illustrious doctor Fossile, dat all de metals be but unripe gold. _Foss._ Spoken like a philosopher, And therefore there should be an act of parliament against digging of lead mines, as against felling young timber. But inform me, Sir, what might be your menstruum, snow-water, or May-dew? _Plot._ Snow-vater. _Foss._ Right. Snow is the universal pickle of nature for the preservation of her productions in the hyemal season. _Plot._ If you will go your self, and not trust de servant, to fetch some of de right Thames sand dat be below de bridge, I will show you de naked Diana in your study before I go hence. _Foss._ Perhaps you might. I am not at present dispos'd for experiments. _Plot._ This bite wont take to send him out of the way, I'll change my subject. [_Aside._] Do you deal in longitudes, Sir? _Foss._ I deal not in impossibilities. I search only for the grand elixir. _Plot._ Vat do you tink of de new metode of fluxion? _Foss._ I know no other but my mercury. _Plot._ Ha, ha. Me mean de fluxion of de quantity. _Foss._ The greatest quantity I ever knew, was three quarts a day. _Plot._ Be dere any secret in the hydrology, zoology, minerology, hydraulicks, acausticks, pneumaticks, logarithmatechny, dat you do want de explanation of? _Foss._ This is all out of my way. Do you know of any hermaphrodites, monstrous twins, antediluvivian shells, bones, and vegetables? _Plot._ Vat tink you of an antediluvian knife, spoon, and fork, with the mark of Tubal Cain in Hebrew, dug out of the mine of Babylon? _Foss._ Of what dimensions, I pray, Sir? _Plot._ De spoon be bigger dan de modern ladle; de fork, like de great fire-fork; and de knife, like de cleaver. _Foss._ Bless me! this shows the stature and magnitude of those antidiluvians! _Plot._ To make you convinced that I tell not de lie, dey are in de Turkey ship at Vapping, just going to be disposed of. Me would go there vid you, but de businss vil not let me. _Foss._ An extraordinary man this! I'll examine him further. [_Aside._] How could your country lose so great a man as you? _Plot._ Dat be de secret. But because me vil have de fair correspondence with de illustrious doctor Fossile, me vil not deny dat Orpheus and me had near run de same fate for different reason. I was hunted out of my country by de general insurrection of de women. _Foss._ How so pray? _Plot._ Because me have prepare a certain liquor which discover whether a woman be a virgin or no. _Foss._ A curious discovery! have you any of it still?